Euro 2024 qualifiers: NI rue missed chances as Finland deliver early blow to qualification hopes

Finland and Northern Ireland some present person 3 Euro qualifying points

Northern Ireland were near to rue a bid of missed chances arsenic Finland delivered an aboriginal stroke to their Euro 2024 qualification hopes with triumph successful Belfast.

Dion Charles had a extremity disallowed for handball aboriginal successful the 2nd half, aft substitute Josh Magennis had blazed over.

NI bushed San Marino 2-0 successful their opener.

The triumph successful San Marino had added to the positivity that had engulfed the campy since Michael O'Neill was appointed for a 2nd spell successful charge.

They went into his archetypal crippled backmost astatine Windsor Park successful an upbeat mood.

A 17,900 location assemblage gave the broadside and manager large vocal backing passim a crippled that Northern Ireland created capable goalscoring opportunities to win.

An inability to people goals has agelong been a occupation for the side, adjacent for parts of O'Neill's palmy archetypal reign, and proved costly against a squad who mislaid 3-1 to apical seeds Denmark successful their radical opener connected Thursday.

• Reaction arsenic Finland bushed Northern Ireland successful qualifying

Earlier connected Sunday, the Danes suffered a astonishment decision by Kazakhstan which means that Slovenia apical the Group aft seeing disconnected San Marino, the world's bottom-ranked side.

Finland's opening extremity came from an onslaught down the close that saw Robin Lod crook Jamal Lewis and Jordan Thompson superbly earlier delivering a debased transverse that fell to Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki.

His miscued changeable fell to Benjamin Kallman astatine the backmost station who prodded past Bailey Peacock-Farrell successful beforehand of The Kop to springiness the visitors a 1-0 pb that came astatine a clip erstwhile the hosts were enjoying their champion spell of the match.

Northern Ireland thought they had equalised connected 63 minutes erstwhile Dion Charles recovered the nett with a close-range decorativeness aft a country had fallen to him, but referee Ivan Kruzliak ruled that helium had initially controlled the shot with his hand, not his chest, and a VAR cheque confirmed the determination overmuch to the dismay of O'Neill and the passionate location crowd.

It was the 4th immense accidental of the crippled that Northern Ireland created, and the 3rd aft going down to Kallman's opener, with their archetypal 1 of the nighttime coming arsenic aboriginal arsenic the seventh infinitesimal erstwhile a Jordan Thompson pull-back from the byline fell conscionable down Conor Washington, who was acceptable to pounce yards from goal.

More to follow.